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How Many Exclamation Points Do You Need To Seem Genuinely Enthusiastic? (theatlantic.com) 158

Posted by msmash from the closer-look dept.
How many exclamation points does it take to exclaim something? One, a human of sound mind and a decent grasp of punctuation might say. But, on the internet, it often doesn't. The Atlantic: Not anymore. Digital communication is undergoing exclamation-point inflation. When single exclamation points adorn every sentence in a business email, it takes two to convey true enthusiasm. Or three. Or four. Or more. I noticed this in my own social circles recently. Multiple exclamation points were popping up in mundane places, not attached to hyperbole or any kind of frenzied emotion. A simple work email might yield a "Sounds good!!!" I find myself doing it, too. "All of these quirks of social media -- that would include exclamation points, and all caps, and repetition of letters, those are the three main ones that show enthusiasm -- people use more of them," says Deborah Tannen, a professor of linguistics at Georgetown University. This sort of inflation is a natural linguistic phenomenon that regularly happens to words, like how awesome was once reserved for that which truly struck awe into a quavering heart and is now scarcely more than a verbal thumbs up. But this time it's happening to punctuation.
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How Many Exclamation Points Do You Need To Seem Genuinely Enthusiastic? More

How Many Exclamation Points Do You Need To Seem Genuinely Enthusiastic?

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  • Lots!!!!! (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    And lots!!!

    • Re:Lots!!!!! (Score:5, Funny)

      by Tablizer ( 95088 ) on Thursday June 28, 2018 @05:21PM (#56862002) Journal

      And make them Yuuuuge! Have the best exclamation points ever! And lots of really terrific superlatives! I and I alone invented superlatives; the BEST superlatives, believe me! Giant crowds come to see my fantastically bigly superlatives; everyone knows it. Even lyin' CNN claps. 200% TV audience share. Math people had to create new numbers to fit my ratings. Make Superlatives Great Again!

      (sorry, couldn't resist)

    • All of them!!!!!!!!one1111one

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward
      And while we're on this topic, isn't it about time we as a society took a serious look at the interrobang!? Like, why doesn't /. support the interrobang!? How can I possible express excited confusion without it!?

    • Tw!ce what he sa!d !!!!

  • Well (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Chas ( 5144 ) on Thursday June 28, 2018 @05:14PM (#56861956) Homepage Journal

    I dunno!!!!!!!111111ELEVENTY!!!!1111

    • Re:Well (Score:4, Funny)

      by Calydor ( 739835 ) on Thursday June 28, 2018 @05:38PM (#56862120)

      Your sig was amusingly relevant.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Askmum ( 1038780 )
      ONE!!!!!!11111ONEONEONEONEOMGWTFGTFOBBQ!EXCLAMATIONPOINT!

      Wow. /.'s superawesome AI posting check does not even allow me to post only that line.

  • 1 or 2 (Score:5, Funny)

    by isj ( 453011 ) on Thursday June 28, 2018 @05:15PM (#56861958) Homepage

    You can use 1 exclamation point if a death is involved.
    You can use 2 exclamation point if your own death is involved.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by shanen ( 462549 )

      You can use 1 exclamation point if a death is involved.
      You can use 2 exclamation point if your own death is involved.

      You may use 3 exclamation points if your own death was involved.

      GHOSTS!!!

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by rtb61 ( 674572 )

        Use as many exclamation marks as humour provides for. If you use additional exclamation marks seriously, then you are just an idiot douche marketdroid infesting some corporation is some utterly useless manner. The use of exclamation marks, like capitals, is only meant for humour, most often quite dry but humour none the less.

        If you are serious, you go talk to the person in person, if it is serious enough you make that effort. Do not make a person effort, then it ain't serious and stop being a douche, the l

        • [Image of ghost and three graphic exclamation points probably deleted, but perhaps Slashdot treats you differently? The emoticons do return from Preview mode, so Slashdot hasn't lost them completely?]

          In some contexts, that would be an emoticon of a ghost followed by three giant exclamations points. Here on Slashdot, it appears to have been destroyed. Thank heavens for small blessings?

          Things could get worse, and they mostly have.

          I rest my case.

      • Listen Carefully! We are a group of individuals that represent a small foreign faction. We respect your business, but not the country it serves.

        . . .

        It's up to you now John! Victory!

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by shanen ( 462549 )

          Eh?

          • In the notorious case of the death of a child in Boulder Colorado named Jon Benet Ramsey, a putative hostage ransom note had those three exclamation points in it.

            Many people interested in the case are of the mind that the note was not written by terrorist kidnappers, rather, it was written by the mom to cover up the death of her daughter at her hands -- probably in a fit-of-range in administering abusive parental discipline. Certainly, a terrorist kidnapper would not use so many tropes and memes of uppe

  • None (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Zobeid ( 314469 ) on Thursday June 28, 2018 @05:16PM (#56861972)

    In school I was taught to use an exclamation point only after a command or an exclamation, not to "convey true enthusiasm".

    • Well, as they say, you learn something new every day.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by darkain ( 749283 )

      In school I was taught to use a semicolon only after a command.

      • I got an F for using a wholecolon.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Quirkz ( 1206400 )

        In school I was taught to only use my colon at the commode.

      • I believe the semicolon has outlived its usefulness. Time for a walk to the lake and a little boat ride. One way.

        I bet fearless leader #PresidentTweety doesn't use semicolons and wouldn't recognize one if it bit him on his fat ass.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by hey! ( 33014 )

          No, if anything we need more punctuation marks -- for example different punctuation marks for list and clause delimiting. Clearly we need an irony mark too.

          Most of all we need a "meh mark" that corresponds to the exclamation point, but carries the opposite sense.

          • I'd like to see Western languages adopt enumeration commas [wikipedia.org], myself.

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by shanen ( 462549 )

              I had trouble understanding the article, and even in seeing the glyphs, but it sounds like it's the functional equivalent of enumerating your lists with embedded numbers. I sometimes do that with (1), (2), and so on embedded at the appropriate places in the text. If context doesn't make it sufficiently clear, I may add a comment about the total number of options before starting the list.

              • It's meant to distinguish between list items and clauses in a sentence. Alas, the ancient and hallowed Slashcode will not allow me to post an example here.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by shanen ( 462549 )

            Sounds to me like you're confusing punctuation with emoticons. Good luck on convincing me we need more of those, but I'm pretty sure there are emoticons for both of your examples. I don't think you want to go there, and it may be one of Slashdot's few residual strengths that it's hard to use emoticons here.

          • No, no, not an irony mark. Never.
            Let people work it out for themselves and be embarrassingly wrong.

    • In school I was taught to use an exclamation point only after a command or an exclamation, not to "convey true enthusiasm".

      i think you're teachers were wrong!

  • Well, Donald Trump regularly uses between 10 and 20. I'd say that indicates a pretty high degree of enthusiasm.

  • In Other News... (Score:3)

    by Thelasko ( 1196535 ) on Thursday June 28, 2018 @05:22PM (#56862010) Journal
    ...a period is a sign of anger. [newrepublic.com]

  • Nlbrlsm (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    This is just the written translation of the neoliberal rise of fake enthusiasm promoted in corporate environments

  • Let's focus on the real issue they are obviously trying to distract us from. How many question marks does it take to appear sincerely inquisitive???????

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Calydor ( 739835 )

      Eh, I feel like it'd be a waste of time to answer that, you don't actually care!!!!!!!!!!!! ... Geez, Slashdot's junk filter is preventing me from showing the enormousness of my enthusiasm.

    • Sadly, I must admit that I allow myself to be irritated when I receive work emails containing questions with multiple question marks at the end.

      One should suffice. Any more and it becomes very difficult to interpret the question in a civil tone. It looks like the person is being derisive, condemning, and condescending.

  • for a slashdot poll.

      It's not as bad a question as some have been lately. Not as good either. And there does need to be a CowboyNeal!!! option.

  • "I find myself doing it, too."

    Well, stop, right fucking now.

  • Seems like a highly inviting story for humor. May I suggest inverting the analysis and starting with the suitable punishments for crimes of punctuation?

    Is my chief crime the excessive use of question marks in search of politeness? Or is it the ellipses...

  • ... and I don't like to read them.

    I USE UPPERCASE.

    • http://www.bash.org/?quote=835... [bash.org]

      What do you mean the SQL daemon is down?!?

      The joke is about Judge-Mental telling a newbie to stop using the , but the newbie thanks him for teaching how to type more easily. As I recall the punchline, Judge-Mental says "Phuck me!"

      Wait: Late-breaking news. I found a copy at http://forums.markzdanielewski... [markzdanielewski.com]

      Khassaki> HI EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!
      Judge-Mental> try pressing the the Caps Lock key
      Khassaki> O THANKS!!! ITS SO MUCH EASIER TO WRITE NOW!!!!!!!
      Judge-Mental> fuck m

  • To get to the center of a tootsie Pop.... 1, 2, 3.... Therefore, the Answer, is 3!!!

  • It's the linguistic equivalent of the tag (Score:4, Informative)

    by grasshoppa ( 657393 ) on Thursday June 28, 2018 @05:42PM (#56862148) Homepage

    Anything more than one, sparingly used, is the sign of a weak mind.

  • https://www.punchbowl.com/holi... [punchbowl.com]

    Today, at least!!!!!

  • Use exactly as many as needed: 0 (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Anubis IV ( 1279820 ) on Thursday June 28, 2018 @05:50PM (#56862196)

    With the possible exceptions of dealing with clients, firing employees, and accusing people of crimes, the cumulative number of exclamation points you should ever use in your business e-mails is exactly 0.

    For social e-mails, the appropriate number of exclamation points is also 0. If you're the sort of person who gets excited when you see a video of a cat falling off a countertop and feel compelled to use an exclamation point, your feelings have misled you. Resist the urge to use one. If you find you are having to use more than one exclamation point to convey the immensity of your enthusiasm when you discover that the cat is named Mr. Wiggles and that there's a second video where he's wearing a silly hat, that's a problem of your own creation. First, stop using so many exclamation points and people will come to stop expecting them, making it all the more emphatic when you deign to use even a single one. Second, stop watching those videos. Life is too short to waste it like that.

    • Re:Use exactly as many as needed: 0 (Score:5, Funny)

      by DontBeAMoran ( 4843879 ) on Thursday June 28, 2018 @06:25PM (#56862412)

      So we're supposed to stop watching cat videos but we're supposed to read your dissertation?!!!

    • With the possible exceptions of dealing with clients, firing employees, and accusing people of crimes, the cumulative number of exclamation points you should ever use in your business e-mails is exactly 0.

      Exclamation points are also plenty appropriate when a project is completed on time and under budget. Since that has never happened in any of the projects I've worked on, I suppose your point still stands.

    • With the possible exceptions of dealing with clients, firing employees, and accusing people of crimes, the cumulative number of exclamation points you should ever use in your business e-mails is exactly 0.

      I use exclamation marks, emojis and even bitmojis in my business emails. Suck it curmudgeon!!!!!

      For social e-mails,

      Social who with the what now?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        Most professional emails aren't that professional... There is one recruiter who always starts his with "I hope you are well?"

        I feel like replying "do you?"

  • Gonna go with Terry on this one (Score:5, Insightful)

    by TechnoLuddite ( 854235 ) on Thursday June 28, 2018 @05:55PM (#56862228)
    "Multiple exclamation marks are a sure sign of a diseased mind." -- Terry Pratchett, "Eric"

  • This sort of inflation is a natural linguistic phenomenon that regularly happens to words, like how awesome was once reserved for that which truly struck awe into a quavering heart and is now scarcely more than a verbal thumbs up.

    ... and hyperbole: *cough* Firefox "Awesome" Bar *cough* -- gag ...

  • You have got to be kidding. Is it April 1st or something?! Where does this shit come from!

  • yes we need the !

  • You need three, followed by a one!!!1

    • Exactly, without the one, exclamation points are weak sauce. You gotta show you were so excited you lost track of the SHIFT KEY!!1

  • Q: How many exclamation points does it take for my spam filters to tag you as a spammer?

    A: A lot fewer exclamation points than that.

  • The true measure of emotional feeling, whether enthusiasm, surprise, anger or extreme ambivalence; is FUCK. Very simply, three FUCKS beats five and often six !!!!! The number of fucks, whether in a tweet, a comic book or an action movie is a clear indicator of quality and bold emotion.

    • The true measure of emotional feeling, whether enthusiasm, surprise, anger or extreme ambivalence; is FUCK.

      Which explains why ambivalence often involves not giving a FUCK.

  • The trend these days is to repeat everything a bunch of times, like "very very very...". Doesn't add any additional meaning to the conversation or text and when I hear it, the only thing I can think is that the speaker has trouble expressing themselves.

  • Fourteen.

    • The true cosmically significant number to express ultimate enthusiasm is 42!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      And to anyone who is wondering, the enthusiasm limit imposed by /. is 24 (the number you see above). Try 25 and you get "filter error, try using fewer junk characters".

      /. has standards! Who knew?

  • The number of exclamation points you use is inversely proportional to both how many IQ points I estimate you have and how many fucks I give.

  • "Multiple exclamation marks," he went on, shaking his head, "are a sure sign of a diseased mind."

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • Two looks like an error, like a double period at the end of a sentence.. Like that. See? Two exclamation marks look like they could be the result of a mistake!! Like that. But three, three exclamation marks are sufficient to indicate enthusiasm, without risk of being perceived as a possible typographical error!!! See?!? More than that looks silly and four, five, or more, unavoidably look like this!!!!!1!!!!1!!11!1!!1!11!!! Just silly, and kind of childish or careless. So... three.

      But sometimes you are trying to convey silly, childish enthusiasm!!!1!

  • As a translator, I used to eliminate all but one exclamation mark if the author got carried away.
    Then I thought, Why should I save people from self-inflictedly looking-like-a-prick? So now I square the number of interrogation marks.

  • Six (Score:2)

    by cshark ( 673578 )

    You need six of them!!!!

  • She often sent me emails like "Cro, when do you expect to finish your project???".

  • Use one. It conveys the message. Anything more makes you look like a 5 year old with ADHD. And this is how I'll treat you.

    I am dead serious. If I find a work email with multiple exclamation marks or question marks, I have to question the professionalism of the person sending it. Even and especially if it's a customer, and most definitely if it's coming from management.

    I'd kinda expect it from marketing by now. Like I said, it's usually the hallmark of 5 year olds with ADHD, and, well, QED.

  • I used to write my own spam filters using rules. One of those rules was if an email had three or more exclamation points in a row it went to trash since only spammers tended to do that.

  • Don't forget to add some ones for dramatic effect:

    L33T LIEK JEFF K!!!!!111
  • Myra had the baby.

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